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Moonrunner (book)
:For other uses of '''Moonrunner', see'' Moonrunner Moonrunner is a single-player role-playing gamebook written by Stephen Hand, illustrated by Martin McKenna and originally published in 1992 by Puffin Books. It forms part of Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone's Fighting Fantasy series. It is the 48th in the series in the original Puffin series (ISBN 0-14-034937-5). There are currently no announced plans to republish this book as part of the Scholastic series. Creation Welcome to the Badlands - Back Cover ("Dragon" Edition)}} In this book the player takes the role of a veteran of the War of the Four Kingdoms in the Old World, now a bounty hunter dedicated to capturing war criminals who escaped justice. The last remaining war criminal is the notorious Karam Gruul, "The Hand of Death", who has been tracked down to a location near the town of Blackhaven in Gallantaria. The player is hired to find Gruul and bring him to trial. There are several ways to reach the successful conclusion, each following a distinct narrative. Only near the end it will become clear the the hero has some special, personal reasons to go after Karam Gruul, beyond just his profession of bounty hunter. - 30 Introduction The book in general follows the original rules set down in ''The Warlock of Firetop Mountain (see Game System). Unique Rules *The player has four "Special Skills" which can be chosen from the following list: Acrobatics, Climb, Combat, Con, Disguise, Lock Picking, Sleight of Hand, Sneak and Tracking. - pg.14-17 *The number of Gold Pieces a player has at the start of the adventure is determined by a 2d6 plus 12 roll. - pg.17 Equipment List *Sword *Backpack *5 Provisions - pg.14 *Gold Pieces Cover and Illustrations Covers The original cover of the book was designed and illustrated by Terry Oakes. Illustrations The interior illustrations were by Martin McKenna. There were 30 full page illustrations and 6 minor repeated illustrations scattered throughout the text. The paragraphs with a full page illustration were: 1, 16, 29, 39, 49, 61, 74, 87, 99, 114, 130, 144, 159, 172, 185, 200, 216, 232, 245, 260, 272, 284, 300, 313, 327, 340, 353, 369, 385 and 400. The black and white interior map was by Leo Hartas. Intertextual References The book is a follow-up of Hand's previous Fighting Fantasy book Legend of the Shadow Warriors, which is set in a similar location and historical setting. The storylines share elements. Hand has written that he envisioned a third book, Blood of the Mandrake, which would tie together and conclude several outstanding plot lines begun in Legend of the Shadow Warriors and Moonrunner although the trilogy was never completed due to the Fighting Fantasy series being discontinued in 1995.Letter from Stephen Hand at the Internet Archive record of the old Fightingfantasy.com - Retrieved 2019-10-26 Other Media Main Characters YOU: Hero of Moonrunner *Alcham Lugosh *Argolis - Demothrax *Baphet *Baron Milescu - Vampire Lord of Vannan *Channing *Conrad Zaar *Corpse Master *Doktor Kauderwelsch *Eviron *Guard Captain Furneaux *Guard Marshall Bennett *Gustav Hollman *Hogg - Grave-Robber *Karam Gruul - Inquisitor General *Kiennar *Kilmarney - Grave-Robber *Kriswell the Moneylender *Lishek - Xen-Viper Assassin *Matra Ouspenskaya *Mawn Pretagorus *Maxillon Crabb - Deputy Director of Craven Asylum *Professor Van Heldenghast *Silas Entador Locations *Aiken *Angmellyn Bridge *Berman Street *Blackhaven *Border River *Brice *Carter Street *''Chamber of Horrors'' *Craven Asylum *Cross Keys *Cumbleside *Dexter Street *Divils Lane *Dog Lane *East Gate *Femphrey *Fisherman's Wharf *Gallantaria *Gallows Square *Guard Post *Hanford *Harbour Row *Hook Lane *Hope's End *Ingolstadt *''Kiennar's Curiosity Shop'' *Malt Lane *Mauristatia *Meinster Cemetery *Muddslamp Fishmarket *Narbury *Newham Market *Olde Gaol *Penkhull *Priestsgate *Queen Street *Rohmer Theatre *Royal Lendle *Sanger's Beacon *Stinn *The Badlands *''The Last Octopus'' *The Necrotic Wilderness of Q'yann *The Northlands *''The Three Broken Fingers'' *The Wayside Shrine of Belthegor *Tower of Inquisition *Wayland Court *Weathern Mill Encounters *Argolis *Baron Milescu *Blood Bat *Conrad the Maniac Guard *Corpse Master *Dark Elves - Assassin/Warrior *Ectoplasmic Lurker *Eviron the Landlady *Fogwalkers *Furneaux *Hogg *Humans - Ancient Warrior/Brician Warlord/Guards/Inmates/Provosts/Rosichalcians *Jai-Hulud *Kauderwelsch Monster *Kilmarney *Lizard Man *Mandrake *Man-Orc Assassin *Monocled Woman *Orcs - Assassin/Stoat-Strangler *Rat Man *Raven Lord *Obsidian Predator *The Shocker *Trolls - Torturer/Warden *Xen-Viper *Zombie Slaves Further Notes *The Introduction mentions several heroic feats the protagonist has performed prior to embarking on this adventure: "Exploring the Lacynthian Caves, striking beyond Orchelm enemy lines, rediscovering the Forgotten Temple of Daemos, defying the monstrous Vampire Lords of Vannan..." *(400) does not contain the successful ending to the adventure. *The book uses codewords (all of which are words reversed: "Undead" becomes "Daednu") to record events that happen in the course of the book. *''Moonrunner'' takes place some years after the War of the Four Kingdoms (as YOU are a - still vigorous - veteran of that war). - "Welcome to the Badlands" It follows Legend of the Shadow Warriors, as indicated by the Kauderwelsch plot. Errors Dedication For , whose dramatic exploits convinced one young boy that vampires, insane monsters and crumbling ruins really do exist if you want them to - pg.4 See Also *''Blood of the Mandrake'' *''Smuggler's Gold'' Reviews External Links *Character Sheet - Retrieved 2019-10-26 *[http://www.gamebooks.org/show_series.php?id=11 Fighting Fantasy at Gamebooks.org] - Retrieved 2019-10-26 *[http://www.gamebooks.org/show_item.php?id=92 Moonrunner at Gamebooks.org] - Retrieved 2019-10-26 *[http://web.archive.org/web/20050204172352/http://www.fightingfantasy.com/ffb48.htm Moonrunner at the Internet Archive record of the old] Fightingfantasy.com - Retrieved 2019-10-26 References Category:1992 books Category:Fighting Fantasy Original Series